The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $386,050 construction contract to raise the crest of Anderson Ranch Dam in order to address previously identified safety and security. The dam is located on the South Fork of the Boise River about 28 miles northeast of Mountain Home, Idaho.

PNK Constructors, LLC, of Coalville, Utah, was awarded the contract on September 20.

The existing dam crest will be raised by 4-feet, and construct a 19.5 foot single travel lane across the crest to accommodate semi-trailer trucks and other oversized vehicles. By raising height of the dam, Reclamation will address operational vulnerabilities related to motorized traffic traveling across the top of the dam.

Construction will begin in April 2011, and is estimated to be completed by June 2011. During construction, the dam crest will be closed to traffic, requiring travelers to use Cow Creek, Blacks Creek, or Pine roads to access Anderson Ranch Reservoir and the South Fork of the Boise River below the dam.

"When possible, Reclamation will allow large trucks an opportunity to cross the dam," said Jerrold Gregg, Snake River Area Manager. "We ask that the public exercise caution around the area and obey traffic and detour signs until the project is completed."

Anderson Ranch Dam was constructed by Reclamation in 1950 as part of the Arrowrock Division of the Boise Project. It is a multipurpose facility that provides for irrigation, flood control, hydropower, and recreation.

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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR.